Russia Open to Dialogue on Ukraine, Awaits Concrete Signals from US

Russia Open to Dialogue with US on Ukraine, Awaits Concrete Signals

Russia remains open to dialogue with the US on the Ukraine conflict, but has yet to receive any specific signals from the new administration in Washington regarding the resumption of contacts, according to Moscow's envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia.

Nebenzia emphasized that Moscow is closely monitoring Washington's rhetoric on both Ukraine and Russia. He noted that despite Trump's repeated pledges to swiftly end the Ukraine conflict, Moscow has yet to see a clearly formulated American plan.

Nebenzia reiterated Moscow's position that any potential settlement should eliminate the root causes of the conflict, which he said were previously neglected by Washington, such as NATO's eastward expansion.

He stressed that it is "fundamentally important" for Russia that any potential peace deal is legally binding and signed by the legitimate Ukrainian leadership. He noted that this could present a challenge given that Vladimir Zelensky's term as president officially expired in May last year. Another problem hindering any diplomatic moves is Zelensky's decree banning negotiations with Moscow.

Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, signaled that Washington plans to attempt to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, but wants the EU to provide Kiev with security guarantees going forward.